Tango now has over 18 million users in 190 countries using its video calling service. Unlike Apple's proprietary FaceTime, Tango works over 3G, 4G and Wi-Fi, while FaceTime is Wi-Fi only. And even though Tango's install base falls far short of Skype's 170 million monthly connected users, not to mention its 600 million+ registered accounts, it's growing fast. In fact, it's growing twice as fast as Skype itself did during its first year, TechCrunch recently noted. Today, Tango adds a million users every two weeks, the company says.

We covered Tango barely 6 weeks after its September 2010 launch, when the application had been downloaded over 3 million times by mobile users. At the time, Tango shared that its ambitions were to move onto other platforms, including the desktop, the tablet and the TV.

Tango for Mac on the Horizon

Tango has already conquered one of those three platform (tablets), and has apps for the iPad and Android tablets available now. With the forthcoming launch of the new desktop software, the company is hoping to reach the wider PC market, consisting of 1.5 billion devices worldwide. By this time next year, Tango CEO Uri Raz says there will be 100 million customers using his company's software.

The choice of going Windows-first on the desktop is obvious: sheer numbers. Tango CTO Eric Setton says that PC users comprise 70% of Tango's user base. But a Mac application isn't too far away. "We do plan to release on Macs and it's in our product roadmap," Setton says, "but we do not have a definitive timeline. It's an important platform for us and we aim to be everywhere."

$42 Million in Series B, Skype Investors Involved

Clearly Tango is on the fast track, having also just announced it has closed $42 million in its Series B round of funding led by Draper Fisher Jurvetson, notably the first outside investors in Skype, as well as venture capital led by Len Blavatnik and Alex Zubillaga.

How Tango is Different

For end users, what makes the service different from Skype is a minimalist feature set. You can't buy credit or dial landlines, there isn't an IM-like "chat" feature and you can't accept calls from non-users. In other words, Tango does video chat and just video chat.

More importantly, though, it makes the process of doing video chat incredibly simple. There is no "setup" involved and you don't have to create a username or password to join the service - you just input your phone number. Tango then automatically fills its address book with other Tango users it finds on your phone. A similar process will be offered in the PC version, too.

On the back-end, to make that setup process happen quickly, Tango keeps a centralized directory of its users. This is different than Skype, which is based on a peer-to-peer model of communication, where data moves between end users' devices, not through Skype servers.

Tango is an interesting company to watch, somewhat like seeing Skype reborn as a mobile-first outfit. Whether or not Tango can ever reach the same heights as Skype, especially now as a Microsoft property with integrations planned in everything from IM to the Xbox, still remains to be seen.

Why Pogoplug?

There are no storage limits or long upload times, explains the company, differentiating its offering from similar cloud services, like Google Music or Amazon's Cloud Player. Both of those services require you to move your MP3s from your computer's drive to the companies' servers and they're only for music.

With Pogoplug, your computer is the server and more file types are supported.

Pogoplug Now Offering Freemium Software - And Free Invites for You!

There are two levels of service with the new software. For free, you can download the client and stream your media to any other device, including iOS devices (iPad, iPhone and iPod Touch), on your same local network. To make your files available online, however, there's a $29 fee. This allows you to install the software on all your machines, too, which means you can make every single file you own available "in the cloud," whether they're stored on a Windows PC or on your Mac.

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The Web interface offers three new apps for accessing your files: an online jukebox for streaming music, a cinema app for videos or movies and a gallery app for viewing photos, already organized using their own metadata.

While the idea of "cloud drive" isn't all that unique, the company is offering a unique spin on the concept - a cloud drive you own and control, instead of one run by a major corporation like Amazon, Google, Microsoft or Apple.

Of course, another big company had the same idea not too long ago - Opera Software, makers of the Web browser of the same name. With Opera Unite, the organization proclaimed it would "reinvent the Web" by turning any computer into both a client and server. The concept itself, as a standalone entity, didn't take off with users, and the technology is now baked into the Web browser instead. Opera may have just been a bit ahead of the time with the cloud streaming concept, or it could be that people don't want the hassle of managing their own cloud. (Did I leave my computer on? Is my home Wi-Fi down?) Still, for only $29, users with larger collections of media might find the small hassle worth price, as it's far cheaper than using a third-party cloud storage service.

Forrester came up with several guidelines and principles that will help manufacturers, developers and consumers navigate the technological waters that are stretching to the horizon. The research firm defines Post PC as, "a social and technological phenomenon in which computing experiences become ubiquitous, casual, intimate, and physical."

• computing going from stationary to ubiquitous


• computers becoming more casual than formal


• computers going from arms length to intimate


• content manipulation is transforming from abstracted (mouse and keyboard on screen) to physical (touching the screen)

These shifts have been made possible by jumps in technology that were hard to imagine during the heyday of the PC, 10 or so years ago. Computers are smaller and more powerful. Imagine your first IBM computer and that big box it called a hard drive and then look at an iPad. Flash and NAND memory are the biggest culprits behind the slimming of computing. Wi-Fi and 3G/4G permit smaller computers to be useful wherever people want to take them and cloud computing allows content creation and distribution to be accessed from anywhere.

Forrester recommends three stages that developers and manufacturers should take to stay ahead of the Post PC curve. The first is to augment existing products to fit the new paradigm, an example being Internet-aware printers than can print content sent from anywhere. The next stage would be to launch forward-thinking products - the iPad and Microsoft's Kinect fit here - that lead consumers to a type of computing they have never seen before. New technologies and new ways of interacting with devices equals new consumer habits and expectations.

While companies are transitioning, Forrester says to invest in the infrastructure of tomorrow. Create sensors that make possible the Internet of Things where everything is connected. Make rooms, walls and surfaces that are completely interactive. Microsoft and Kinect might have the lead in this department as the room of the future will know when you step in and will be able to act corresponding to your movements. Transition today, dream tomorrow and then go out and build it.

In the meantime, I spent a little time playing around with the desktop software side of the Windows Phone experience, which is notably different depending on whether you're a Mac or PC person. Different, however, doesn't necessarily mean better or worse, I've found.

As a Mac user myself, I initially found Microsoft's Windows Phone Connector for Mac surprisingly good. This desktop software allows a Mac end user to sync their phone with the music, videos, photos and podcasts from iTunes and iPhoto. In regular use (I sync several times per week, for podcast updates), I've had zero trouble with the software, in terms of crashes or bugs. The only exception was the first time I attempted to install the WP7 update called "NoDo" - it didn't take and I had to start over. Other than that, the experience has been on par (or, in terms of podcast sync, even better than) using DoubleTwist, a similar tool which lets me sync my Android to iTunes. Windows Phone Connector is very easy, capable and fast.

But unlike DoubleTwist, it lacks wireless sync, sadly.

For Windows users, there isn't a Microsoft Connector for iTunes, even though many PC users have iTunes installed and use the software with their iPods and iPads. PC users are expected to use Microsoft's own Zune software instead. This is an interesting strategy on Microsoft's part because it assumes that no Mac users would want the full Zune experience and no PC users would prefer syncing with iTunes. I think that's misguided, to be kind. In truth, I think this narrow-minded viewpoint about Mac vs. PC users is outdated - not everyone is a zealot for one platform or the other, you know. We like to have options. I wouldn't mind a Zune for Mac program, personally, especially since Zune offers a Wi-Fi sync feature.

But since this house is equipped with Windows PCs, too, I fired one up to see how the other half lives.

Zune Software for PC Users

The Zune PC software was a hefty download and long install, but not much worse than I've seen with the first installation of iTunes, to be fair.

The interface, inspired by the "Metro UI" (user interface) of Windows Phone itself, delivers the same stylings as on the phone, but on a wider screen. I feel it works less well here than on the phone, at least on the main screen of the Zune software - the feature called "Quickplay." This feature is designed to provide quick access to recent and favorite content.

But the screen, especially for new users, seems too busy - why are those pictures displaying? How did it determine these were my favorite bands? Quickplay is an interesting experiment in user interface design, but should probably not be the first thing users see upon the first installation and launch of the software. The "summary" page for the phone would be a more traditional, and in my opinion, better option.

Outside of Quickplay, the organization of the various menus and options is less confusing. It's pretty obvious that "collection" means my stuff, and "phone" is what's on my device, for example.

The software is busy providing tips, however, like "did you know that pictures from your phone can be uploaded automatically to photos.live.com?" I find tips annoying, personally. Just do it already! Of course, not everyone wants their photos online (even if the privacy settings were set in advance for you so you were the only one who could view the photos). But a better use of this space, if necessary at all, would be an action item that reads: "Check this box to automatically upload photos to Live.com. You can change this later in the Settings," or something of that nature. You should be able to switch the setting on immediately, from the tip itself, without being directed to the settings. Otherwise, the software should leave you alone.

Ah, but this is Microsoft after all, home of Clippy. Helpfully guiding users through their software has not typically been their forté.

For example, in the Marketplace, the tip here warned me that these apps below were for Windows Phone 7 only, which was entirely unnecessary, considering that my phone was plugged in and syncing at the time. Did it not know what device I had? Another waste of space.

One major issue I experienced while on Windows was that the syncing seemed to take much longer than the same sync on the Mac, or an iPhone-to-iTunes sync of the same content on either Mac or PC. I'm not quite sure what the holdup was.

It's important to get syncing right, too. If you've ever been rushing out the door, only to realize you forgot to sync your iPhone, you know how painful it is to watch a sync in progress in iTunes. It was so much worse in Zune on Windows, at least in my experience.

That said, there is at least a Wi-Fi sync option available, but it only activates when your phone is plugged into a wall outlet and not in use. You cannot trigger it to start from your phone itself. This feature assumes that everyone syncs their phone at night, before bed. I sync mine during the day, before I leave the house, so I have new podcasts to listen to while traveling. Again, it's a case of Microsoft thinking for me, and not getting it quite right. It's a shame, because a Wi-Fi sync feature is an outstanding differentiator for the Zune software.

Another unique feature for Zune is the "Channels" feature, which lets you subscribe to automatically refreshing lists of songs within a given genre (e.g. "Pop"). It's not a bad feature at all, if you're not particular about your music or just like to stay on top of what's popular. However, given that I was a Zune Pass subscriber at the time, I don't understand why these Channels were not available as streams, but only as downloads. Why on earth would I want to have to constantly wait for songs to download if I've already bought the streaming music subscription?

Besides, I don't want to lose space on my device to songs I'm only sampling. Great idea, but poor execution.

Speaking of Zune's subscription feature, it's just not well-developed in comparison with competing services like those from MOG, Rdio and Spotify. Thankfully, Rdio is available for Windows Phone 7 now and Spotify is on its way. MOGgers, like myself, are out of luck. (Another reason why I can't fully leave Android at present. MOG, get it on it, please!)

You can't do much with Zune Pass while mobile, either, besides playing and pausing music. You can't favorite tunes, build playlists, subscribe to others' playlists, or anything else. On the desktop and the Web, you can do much more. Zune even has an online "social" platform where you can friend and follow others who have similar tastes. It's odd this was not extended to mobile.

Conclusion

While the few items I've mentioned are critical, on the whole, the Zune PC software is not bad. The main issue for me is that the sync needs to run faster, but I have not yet ruled out a problem with my PC on this (it is older, has USB 1.0 ports, for what it's worth). Plus, I'm sure you could make a list of iTunes annoyances which was just as long as this. In addition, although I didn't care for Quickplay, you may feel otherwise - you may even enjoy the serendipitous discovery it provides.

But in the end, I don't like that Microsoft is intent on providing different experiences for Mac and PC users. That's not to say it should discontinue its iTunes Connector for Mac, but that should be an alternative to the Zune software, not the only option.

Microsoft should also spend more time with Zune Pass, and make it more of a competitive option. If anything, Microsoft was ahead of the game here, offering subscription music before it was popular. But now that services like Rdio and Spotify are making headlines, Microsoft has stalled on its development of Zune Pass, allowing third-parties to outdo the experience Microsoft has actually baked into its mobile operating system itself. How very Microsoft!

Although nothing about Zune Pass was mentioned as coming in the Mango update, I would love to be surprised with a wholly revamped service later this fall. In the meantime, I want my MOG back. I want my Wi-Fi hotspot. I want my speedy Wi-Fi sync for Mac. In short, I want my Android.

Sorry, Windows Phone. You're pretty, but I need you to be powerful, too. I'll check back in with the platform after Mango to see how it's improved. But for now, Windows Phone is being relegated back to secondary status.

Wakoopa has not just collated the most popular Windows, Mac, and web applications, but it's also identified newcomers that showed prolific growth during 2008.

1. Wakoopa is a relatively small community, composed primarily of tech fanatics and early adopters. The statistics reflect that.

2. The applications mentioned aren't necessarily the most frequently visited applications, but rather those that people have spent the most time actively using; that is, those with the highest user engagement levels.

PC

On Windows, it's no surprise to see Firefox and Internet Explorer as the top two most-used applications. Google Chrome is the only new release of the year to have made the list, showing extremely impressive growth from the moment of its release in September. Chrome does, however, still sit behind Opera in terms of overall usage, while Apple's Safari seems to have been left behind, at least on Windows.

The most popular new application of 2008 has been instant messaging client Digsby, with steady growth throughout the course of the year. Games such as Fallout 3, Left 4 Dead, and Trackmania have all shown positive growth, though primarily at the time of their release, with growth cooling off rapidly thereafter.

Mac

Once again, we see browsers Firefox and Safari leading the way on the Mac, closely followed by instant messaging client Adium. iTunes is a surprising miss on the most-used applications list for Windows (in fact, no media player made it); however, on OS X, iTunes is the platform's most popular media player, landing in fourth place on the list. VLC and QuickTime follow in a respectable 6th and 7th place.

Mail, the Mac's email client, remains popular in 5th place, impressive considering the rapid growth of web-based email clients such as Gmail. The one common application on both the Windows and Mac lists is World of Warcraft; clearly the game is both "a Mac and a PC."

In terms of new apps, the Mac welcomed a host of wonderful applications in 2008. Desktop media player Plex has shown impressive uptake, closely followed by the Pro-Tweeters Twitter client Tweetdeck. Although still in private beta, cross-platform media player Boxee has seen superb success thus far, and that looks set to continue upon its public release in early 2009. Other newcomers include social browser Cruz and recently released social media tool Eventbox, both very creative social applications in their own rights.

Mac vs. PC

There are a number of notable differences in usage between Mac and PC applications. First, the exclusion of any web development tools from the Windows list could highlight web developers' preferences for other platforms: OS X and Linux. The most notable absentees on the Mac list are word processors and desktop publishing tools; however, TextMate and Adobe Photoshop's appearance corroborates the general preference among creatives for the Mac as a platform.

Another difference is the number of media players on the Mac list, yet not a single mention of one on the PC's -- perhaps further indication that the PC is used primarily for its enterprise and office applications. It's also interesting to see the iPhone Simulator make an appearance on the top 10 newcomers list for the Mac, yet no mention on Windows. Evidently, Mac users are the iPhone's primary source of developers.

Web

The top ten most-used web-based applications are no surprise. Facebook ranks highest, beating heavyweights Gmail, Google Search, Wikipedia, and YouTube. Gmail is the only web-based email client to make the top ten list, highlighting its popularity over other web-based email services, particularly among early adopters and tech-minded individuals. The most significant appearance on the web's most-used list is FriendFeed, ranking higher than both MySpace and Flickr; clearly 2008 has been a great year for FriendFeed.

Summary

The biggest cross-platform winners come from the online gaming sector, with Spore and World of Warcraft both showing incredible growth and sustainability. While clearly it's no surprise that Mozilla's Firefox leads the desktop applications on both platforms, rival browser Chrome is likely to show strong growth, especially once Linux and OS X versions of the browser are released.

Online, Facebook usage reigns supreme. The social network's user engagement levels are astonishing. With 2.6 billion minutes spent on Facebook each day, over 50% of users logging in daily, and 140 million active users, it's easy to see why Facebook is Wakoopa's most-used web application. However, despite Facebook's ranking at number 1, it is Google that should be crowned overall online leader, with four of the top five most-used applications on the web.